QoS (quality of service) beamforming by centrally controlling real-time locationing to control beamforming transmissions from access points independent of beamforming capability of stations

ABSTRACT

A quality of service is determined for the specific station. Quality of service defines whether the specific station receives beamforming service or not, independent of beamforming capability of the specific station. QoS can be implemented by centrally controlling the locationing for beamforming. The beamforming location information and QoS information are transmitted to an access point servicing the specific station. The access point transmits network packets with beamforming signals to the specific station based on the beamforming location information.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to computer networking improvements, andmore specifically, to provide beamforming QoS by centrally controllingreal-time locationing of stations to control beamforming to stationsindependent of beamforming capability.

BACKGROUND

Beamforming in a Wi-Fi network occurs during wireless data transfersbetween transmitters (i.e., a beamformer) and receivers (i.e., abeamformee) such as access points and stations. More specifically,rather than broadcasting a signal to a wide area to reach a target,beamforming concentrates the signal directly at the target that isfaster, stronger, and has a longer range, with improved SNR. Beamformingis enabled by transmitters and receivers that use MIMO (multiple-input,multiple-output) technology. Data is sent using multiple antennas toincrease throughput and range with propagation over multiple paths.Newer standards such as IEEE 802.11ac and IEEE 802.11ac wave 2 provideparticular protocols for beamforming as to how transmitters andreceivers communicate with each other and provide information abouttheir relative positions. This will increase the number of beamformingenabled products brought to market.

Problematically, previous standards such as IEEE 802.11n supportbeamforming capability, but without any specific direction on how it isto be implemented. Consequently, a router or access point may not becompatible with a station having a different implementation and nolocation information is available for implementing beamformingcapability.

Additionally, beamforming has no inherent priority between stations. ACEO or CTO of a company, thus, could receive standard network servicesfrom access point in a mostly beamforming station environment.

Therefore, what is needed is a robust technique to provide beamformingQoS by centrally controlling real-time locationing of stations tocontrol beamforming to stations independent of beamforming capability.

SUMMARY

These shortcomings are addressed by the present disclosure of methods,computer program products, and systems for centrally controllingreal-time locationing of stations to control beamforming to stationsindependent of beamforming capability.

In one embodiment, a communication channel is established on the datacommunication network with the plurality of access points. The pluralityof access points provides network access to the plurality of stations.

In another embodiment, location information is organically determinedfor the plurality of stations from the plurality of access points. Thestation location information for a specific station determined by asignal strength of a signal (RSSI) as received by different accesspoints at known locations.

In still another embodiment, a quality of service is determined for thespecific station. Quality of service determines whether the specificstation receives beamforming service or not, independent of beamformingcapability of the specific station. QoS can be implemented by centrallycontrolling the locationing for beamforming. The beamforming locationinformation and QoS information are transmitted to an access pointservicing the specific station. The access point transmits networkpackets with beamforming signals to the specific station based on thebeamforming location information.

Advantageously, beamforming resources are optimized for better accesspoint device performance. Moreover, quality of service is provided tobeamforming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following figures, like reference numbers are used to refer tolike elements. Although the following figures depict various examples ofthe invention, the invention is not limited to the examples depicted inthe figures.

FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram illustrating a system to providebeamforming QoS by centrally controlling real-time locationing ofstations independent of beamforming capability, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 are more detailed block diagrams illustrating internal componentsof a location monitoring server from the system of FIG. 1, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating internal componentsof an access point from the system of FIG. 1, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 4 is a high-level flow diagram illustrating a method for providingbeamforming QoS by centrally controlling real-time locationing ofstations independent of beamforming capability, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating a step of, selectingstations for emulating beamforming transmission amongst beamformingnon-capable stations according to priority, from the method of FIG. 4,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating a step of, selectingstations for beamforming transmission amongst beamforming capablestations according to priority, from the method of FIG. 4, according toan embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing device,according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides methods, computer program products, andsystems for centrally controlling real-time locationing of stations tocontrol beamforming to stations independent of beamforming capability.

A novel control layer for beamforming from a network perspectivesupersede device-initiated beamforming controls. Moreover, the controllayer is centralized, thereby leveraging access to access pointsutilized as location sensors around an environment. A centrallocationing server, as a result, can orchestrate beamforming on aper-station basis around a network at various access points. In somecases, beamforming control is based at least in part on networkconditions as a whole. Thus, network congestion on one part of thenetwork requiring load balancing, may result in reduced beamformingoutput from an access point in a different part of the network in orderto facilitate load-balancing. One of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that many other scenarios are possible, given the presentdisclosure, as discussed in more detail below.

As referred to herein, beamforming generally concerns a focus of antennafrom an array of antenna into a certain direction, in a constructivemanner, to form a stronger direction signal relative to anomnidirectional signal.

Systems for Network-Controlled Beamforming QoS (FIGS. 1-3)

FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram illustrating a system 100 toprovide beamforming QoS centrally controlling locationing forbeamforming Wi-Fi transmissions to wireless stations from access pointsindependent of beamforming capability of stations, according to oneembodiment. The system 100 comprises a central locationing server 110,access points 120A-B, stations 130A-D, and LAN controller 140. Manyother configurations are possible. For example, additional networkcomponents can also be part of the system 100, such as firewalls, virusscanners, routers, switches, application servers, databases, and thelike.

Network 199 provides a data channel for components of the system 100with network devices, such as routers, switches, network processors, andthe like. The components can use data channel protocols, such as IEEE802.11n, 802.11ac, or other versions of the 802.11 and other wirelessstandards. Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the location monitoringserver 110 is coupled across the network 199 to each of the of accesspoints, preferably over wired connections. In, turn, the access points120A-B are coupled to the stations 130A-D, preferably over wirelessconnections.

The central locationing server 110 leverages a configuration of accesspoints to determine location information needed to beamform from one ofthe access points to the stations (e.g., individualized RSSI locationdata for stations within range of an access point 97). In more detail, asingle transmission by station 130B, for instance, can be heard by bothaccess points 120A and 120B, producing two RSSI values. The RSSI foreach received signal, however, is typically different unless a stationis equidistant away. Circles can be drawn with diameters based on RSSIstrength, from known locations, an overlapping of which shows apotential location area. Preferred embodiments have at least a thirdaccess point RSSI measurement, although many situations present only twomeasurements. Another embodiment retrieves RSSI signals received outsideof a LAN from cooperating devices. The cooperating device can be, forexample, a smartphone, a networked appliance, or the like.

The central locationing server 110 provides beamforming locationing,selectively, for any or none of three beamforming scenarios representedby the three stations 130A-C (e.g., station location information fromaggregate RSSI location data 98). First, station 130A conforms to IEEE802.11n without inherent beamforming capability, but receivesbeamforming transmissions using locationing information from the system100. In one example, the station 130A belongs to a CEO or a CTO, or is ageneral computer logged-in by the CEO or the CTO. Many other networkpolicies or user profile settings can determine beamforming selections.Second, station 130B conforms to IEEE 802.11ac with inherent beamformingcapability, but relies upon locationing information from the system 100.Third, station 130C also conforms to IEEE 802.11ac, but does not receivebeamforming transmissions compared to the station 120B because of acloseness to the access point 120B. The access point 120B can thereforeconserve resources on nearby stations that already receive ahigh-quality SNR signal. Other configurations are possible. Forinstance, all stations can be IEEE 802.11ac capable stations. Many otherrules, besides or in addition to, distance of a station to an accesspoint can be implemented determine whether to provide beamformingservice. In another instance, some stations are IEEE 802.11ad capableand beamform transmission signals back to the access points.

The central location of FIG. 1 is located within a LAN or remotely onthe Internet cloud. When implemented within a LAN, the centrallocationing server 110 can be further integrated within the Wi-Ficontroller 140, or have a dedicated line of communication. The centrallocationing server 110 is set forth in more detail below with respect toFIG. 2.

The access points 120A utilizes location information from the centrallocationing server 110 to direct antenna for beamforming. The locationinformation can be identical to, similar to, or distinct from the typeof location information self-reporting by stations under IEEE 802.11acand other protocols. The location information can be determined by anetwork processor, in one case, having custom microcode directed tobeamforming locationing. One embodiment provides a similar processorarchitecture in the central locationing server.

In one embodiment, the access points 120A off-load locationing and/orbeamforming from a network processor to a content processor, to improveaccess point performance. The overhead of beamforming can be reducedwith a specialized ASIC that is optimized for beamforming operations.One implementation shares locationing processing tasks with the centrallocationing server 110. Raw data is then locally processed by thecontent processor, streamed over the network to the central locationingserver 110 for processing, or a combination of pre-processing locallyand finish processing remotely.

The access points 120A,B physically include one or more individualaccess points implemented in any of the computing devices discussedherein (e.g., see FIG. 6). For example, the access points 120A,B can bean AP 110 or AP 433 (modified as discussed herein) by Fortinet ofSunnyvale, Calif. A network administrator can strategically place theaccess points 120A,B for optimal coverage area over a locale. The accesspoints 120A,B can, in turn, be connected to a wired hub, switch orrouter connected to the enterprise network 199 (or an external network).In embodiment, access point functionality is incorporated into a switchor router. In another embodiment, the access points 120A,B are virtualdevices. Further embodiments of the access points 120A,B are discussedwith respect to FIG. 3.

The stations 130A-C can receive beamforming transmissions from an accesspoint. In some embodiments, the stations 130A-C participate inbeamforming by specifically configuring receiving antennae. For example,different antenna in an array can compensate for known differences inarrival time for signals. The different received signals can be combinedin phase from buffers for a constructive effect on the transmissionsignal. In some other embodiments, stations having IEEE 802.11adcompatibility have 2-way beamforming capability for transmitting toaccess points making use of beamforming techniques. Some embodimentsinclude beamforming receivers, while others do not.

Additionally, the stations 130A-C of the system 100 can be implementedin any of the computing devices discussed herein, for example, apersonal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone,a mobile computing device, a server, a cloud-based device, a virtualdevice, an Internet appliance, or any of the computing devices describedherein, using hardware and/or software (see e.g., FIG. 7).

The Wi-Fi controller 140 manages the access points 120A,B and controlsstations as they traverse around the network. In one embodiment, a QoSis determined for the station 130A and continues to be the QoS when thestation 130A subsequently associates with the access point 120B, forinstance.

Generally, the network components of the system 100 can be implementedin any of the computing devices discussed herein, for example, apersonal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone,a mobile computing device, a server, a cloud-based device, a virtualdevice, an Internet appliance, or any of the computing devices describedherein, using hardware and/or software (see e.g., FIG. 7).

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating the centrallocationing server 110 of the system 100, according to one embodiment.The central locationing server 110 comprises user interface module 210,access point RSSI module 220, station location determination module 230,access point locationing module 240, network communication module 250,and user policies database 260.

User interface module 210 can be, for example, a graphical userinterface, a command line interface, or any other mechanism forproviding user input and output to the central locationing server 110.User policies can be created and updated through user accounts andstored in the QoS policies database 260. Internet browsers ordownloadable apps can abstract communication for users and/or networkadministrators. User devices can be physically connected by a serialport or radio connected over a local Wi-Fi LAN. User devices canalternatively be remotely connected to the user interface module 210over the Internet or by VPN (virtual private network).

Access point RSSI module 220 receives raw or pre-processed dataconcerning RSSI measurements for stations on the network. In oneembodiment, location histories for a station are stored and analyzed.When a new station associates with an access point, previously collectedlocationing information from RSSI is immediately available, due to thecentralized perspective of the access point RSSI module 220.

In one embodiment, alternative locationing inputs to RSSI are possible.For example, active or passive tags can transmit locations inadvertisement beacons modified from access point advertisement beacons.This beacon location may be input in leu of IEEE 802.11ac or IEEE802.11ad location information and in leu of RSSI location information.

Station location determination module 230 prepares location informationfrom RSSI data sufficient for access points to beamform to a specificstation. Implementation-specific algorithms translate the RSSImeasurement data to location information usable downstream by abeamforming-capable access point. The triangulation example fordetermining location information is discussed above. One implementationcombines the beacon location with RSSI location for locationing inputs.The location information can include absolute geo-physical location orrelative geo-physical location (e.g., station location relative toaccess point). In other cases, the location information can be veryspecific downstream directives to antenna arrays. Processor loadbalancing between local Wi-Fi and remote cloud devices can beimplementation-specific.

Access point locationing module 240 converts location information to,for example, geo-location coordinates. There is a communication channelestablished that additional enhanced data in addition to location dataneeded. Additional enhanced data can include user level beamformingcontrols.

Network communication module 250 includes APIs, networking software andhardware ports and protocols, and radios needed to communicate withaccess points, stations, external databases and severs, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating an access point 120(collectively representing the collector nodes 120A,B) of the system100, according to one embodiment. The access point 120 comprises astation connection 310, a beamforming module 320, and an antenna module330, along with a network processor 340 and a content processor 350. Theinternal components can be implemented in hardware, software, or acombination of both.

The station connection module 310 streams location data for stationsfrom access points on the network to the central location manager 110for analyses. Namely, RSSI signal strength received from differentaccess points for the same station can be compared to estimate a current(or previous) location of the station. One embodiment triangulates RSSIstrength signals received from two, three or more access points.

The beamforming module 320 implements any higher level or software-basedbeamforming operations. For example, a CLI (command level interface) orgraphical interface display can be provided to users and networkadministrators for configuring beamforming policy. The beamformingpolicy at the access point 120 can be independent of, complementary to,or override beamforming policy of the central location manager 110.

The antennae module 330 comprises one or more antennae array capable ofbeamforming. In more detail, a digital signal processor can coordinatesignaling between the antenna for the appropriate constructive signal atthe appropriate distance of the station for maximum signal strength. Inone embodiment, implicit beamforming determines parameters from a set oftest packets sent from a station to the access point. The access pointasks the station to send a predictable set of sounding frames, and thenlistens for these sounding frames noting when and how they are receivedon each distinct antenna of an array. In another embodiment, explicitbeamforming feedback is received from the station and can be based onsounding frames sent from the access point to the station where they arerecorded.

Methods for Network-Controlled Beamforming QoS (FIGS. 4-6)

FIG. 4 is a high-level flow diagram illustrating a method 400 forcentrally controlling locationing for beamforming Wi-Fi transmissions towireless stations from access points independent of beamformingcapability of stations, according to one embodiment. The method 400 canbe implemented by the system 100 of FIG. 1 or a different system. One ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that the method 400 isnon-limiting as other embodiments can have more or less steps and can beperformed in a different order.

At step 405, QoS settings for users are configured. Alternatively, of incombination with specific QoS settings, general QoS network policies canbe configured. The QoS settings can be based on a service level, asubscription, a rank in an entity (e.g., CEO or CTO), or distance froman access point. For example, a nearby station will have a higher SNRdue to the distance and does not need enhanced signaling of beamformingtransmissions, especially if other devices do.

At step 410 communication channels are established with a plurality ofaccess points over a data communication network. The access points, inturn, have communication channels established with a plurality ofstations over a Wi-Fi portion of the data communication network.

At step 420, locationing for QoS beamforming is centrally controlledfrom a central locationing server. A control layer is established forbeamforming locationing and the control layer provides beamformingaccording to a QoS of the user or the user device. The beamforminglocationing determined by the network supplants any IEEE 802.11acrelated locationing information, and in fact, has no reliance on thisdata in some embodiments. Further embodiments of the centrallycontrolling step 420 are discussed in FIG. 5.

At step 430, network packets are transmitted from access points withbeamforming signals to stations. The transmissions are based onbeamforming locationing information and are independent of beamformingcapability, as described further in association in FIG. 6 below.

FIG. 5 is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the centrallycontrolling QoS step 420 from the method of FIG. 5, according to oneembodiment.

At step 510, station location is determined from at least two accesspoints. At step 520, QoS settings are retrieved for a user or a userdevice. A network controller may have input for what type of QoS astation retrieves based on a history of connections with other accesspoints. Further, QoS settings, once determined, can be applied atdifferent access points as stations traverse across the network.

At step 530, if beamforming is provided based on a use profile, and atstep 540, beamforming is provided based on a distance from the accesspoint, then the transmitting network packets step 430 is performed.However, at step 530, if beamforming is not provided based on userprofile, or at step 540, beamforming is not provided based on a distanceform an access point, location information is not provided forbeamforming, at step 550.

FIG. 6 is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the beamformingtransmissions step 430 from the method of FIG. 5, according to oneembodiment.

At step 610, if a station is selected by a central locationing serverfor beamforming service, and the station is inherently compatible toreceive beamforming transmissions (e.g., IEEE 802.11ac compatible), atstep 620, then beamforming transmissions are sent to the station, atstep 630. Identically, at step 620, if the station does not haveinherent compatibility to receive beamforming transmissions, thetransmissions can still be sent at step 630, due to theorganically-determined locationing information.

Generic Computing Device (FIG. 7)

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing device 700for use in the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. Thecomputing device 700 is an exemplary device that is implementable foreach of the components of the system 100, including the central logmanager 110, the collector nodes 120, and the network devices 130A-D.The computing device 700 can be a mobile computing device, a laptopdevice, a smartphone, a tablet device, a phablet device, a video gameconsole, a personal computing device, a stationary computing device, aserver blade, an Internet appliance, a virtual computing device, adistributed computing device, a cloud-based computing device, or anyappropriate processor-driven device.

The computing device 700, of the present embodiment, includes a memory710, a processor 720, a storage drive 730, and an I/O port 740. Each ofthe components is coupled for electronic communication via a bus 799.Communication can be digital and/or analog, and use any suitableprotocol.

The memory 710 further comprises network applications 712 and anoperating system 714. The network applications 712 can include themodules of the central locationing server 110, the access points 120A,B,and the stations 130A-C, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. Other networkapplications 712 can include a web browser, a mobile application, anapplication that uses networking, a remote application executinglocally, a network protocol application, a network managementapplication, a network routing application, or the like.

The operating system 714 can be one of the Microsoft Windows® family ofoperating systems (e.g., Windows 95, 98, Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000,Windows XP, Windows XP x74 Edition, Windows Vista, Windows CE, WindowsMobile, Windows 7 or Windows 8), Linux, HP-UX, UNIX, Sun OS, Solaris,Mac OS X, Alpha OS, AIX, IRIX32, or IRIX74. Other operating systems maybe used. Microsoft Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

The processor 720 can be a network processor (e.g., optimized for IEEE802.11), a general purpose processor, an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reducedinstruction set controller (RISC) processor, an integrated circuit, orthe like. Qualcomm Atheros, Broadcom Corporation, and MarvellSemiconductors manufacture processors that are optimized for IEEE 802.11devices. The processor 720 can be single core, multiple core, or includemore than one processing elements. The processor 720 can be disposed onsilicon or any other suitable material. The processor 720 can receiveand execute instructions and data stored in the memory 710 or thestorage drive 730.

The storage drive 730 can be any non-volatile type of storage such as amagnetic disc, EEPROM (electronically erasable programmable read-onlymemory), Flash, or the like. The storage drive 730 stores code and datafor applications.

The I/O port 740 further comprises a user interface 742 and a networkinterface 744. The user interface 742 can output to a display device andreceive input from, for example, a keyboard. The network interface 744(e.g. RF antennae) connects to a medium such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi fordata input and output.

Many of the functionalities described herein can be implemented withcomputer software, computer hardware, or a combination.

Computer software products (e.g., non-transitory computer productsstoring source code) may be written in any of various suitableprogramming languages, such as C, C++, C#, Oracle® Java, JavaScript,PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, AJAX, and Adobe® Flash®. The computer softwareproduct may be an independent application with data input and datadisplay modules. Alternatively, the computer software products may beclasses that are instantiated as distributed objects. The computersoftware products may also be component software such as Java Beans(from Sun Microsystems) or Enterprise Java Beans (EJB from SunMicrosystems).

Furthermore, the computer that is running the previously mentionedcomputer software may be connected to a network and may interface withother computers using this network. The network may be on an intranet orthe Internet, among others. The network may be a wired network (e.g.,using copper), telephone network, packet network, an optical network(e.g., using optical fiber), or a wireless network, or any combinationof these. For example, data and other information may be passed betweenthe computer and components (or steps) of a system of the inventionusing a wireless network using a protocol such as Wi-Fi (IEEE standards802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11i, 802.11n, and802.11ac, just to name a few examples). For example, signals from acomputer may be transferred, at least in part, wirelessly to componentsor other computers.

In an embodiment, with a Web browser executing on a computer workstationsystem, a user accesses a system on the World Wide Web (WWW) through anetwork such as the Internet. The Web browser is used to download webpages or other content in various formats including HTML, XML, text,PDF, and postscript, and may be used to upload information to otherparts of the system. The Web browser may use uniform resourceidentifiers (URLs) to identify resources on the Web and hypertexttransfer protocol (HTTP) in transferring files on the Web.

This description of the invention has been presented for the purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise form described, and manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the teachingabove. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical applications.This description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilizeand practice the invention in various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to a particular use. The scope of theinvention is defined by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A computer-implemented method for a central locationingserver connected implemented at least partially in hardware andcommunicatively coupled to a plurality of access points which are inturn communicatively coupled to a plurality of wireless stations on aWi-Fi portion of a data communication network, the method fordetermining real-time station locations to provide a beamforming qualityof service to stations independent of beamforming capability, the methodcomprising the steps of: establishing a communication channel on thedata communication network with the plurality of access points, whereinthe plurality of access points provides network access to the pluralityof stations; determining station location information for the pluralityof stations from the plurality of access points, the station locationinformation for a specific station determined by a signal strength of asignal (RSSI) as received by different access points at known locations;determining quality of service for the specific station, wherein qualityof service determines whether the specific station receives beamformingservice or not, independent of beamforming capability of the specificstation; centrally controlling the location for beamforming bytransmitting the beamforming location information and QoS informationfor the specific station to an access point servicing the specificstation from the plurality of access points, wherein the access pointtransmits network packets with beamforming signals to the specificstation based on the beamforming location information.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: updating an association of the specificstation with an updated access point, wherein the station comprises amobile station; and transmitting subsequent beamforming locationinformation to the updated access point.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving time information corresponding to thelocation information.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofdetermining the quality of service comprises: upgrading the specificstation to beamforming QoS, wherein the specific station does notnatively support beamforming, or does not have native beamformingcompatible with the access point.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of determining the quality of service comprises: downgrading thespecific station to non-beamforming QoS, wherein the specific stationdoes natively support beamforming, or does have native beamformingcompatible with the access point.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of determining the quality of service comprises: maintaining thespecific station at beamforming QoS, wherein the specific station doesnatively support beamforming, or does have native beamforming compatiblewith the access point.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofdetermining the quality of service comprises: maintaining the specificstation at non-beamforming QoS, wherein the specific station does notnatively support beamforming, or does not have native beamformingcompatible with the access point.
 8. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium to, when executed by a processor, perform a computer-implementedmethod in a central locationing server connected implemented at leastpartially in hardware and communicatively coupled to a plurality ofaccess points which are in turn communicatively coupled to a pluralityof wireless stations on a Wi-Fi portion of a data communication network,for determining real-time station locations to provide a beamformingquality of service to stations independent of beamforming capability,the method comprising the steps of: establishing a communication channelon the data communication network with the plurality of access points,wherein the plurality of access points provides network access to theplurality of stations; determining station location information for theplurality of stations from the plurality of access points, the stationlocation information for a specific station determined by a signalstrength of a signal (RSSI) as received by different access points atknown locations; determining quality of service for the specificstation, wherein quality of service determines whether the specificstation receives beamforming service or not, independent of beamformingcapability of the specific station; centrally controlling the locationfor beamforming by transmitting the beamforming location information andQoS information for the specific station to an access point servicingthe specific station from the plurality of access points, wherein theaccess point transmits network packets with beamforming signals to thespecific station based on the beamforming location information.